Under the Nazis Despite his reservations, Streel was ultimately reconciled to collaborationism, fearing that the alternative would be German annihilation of Belgium. He became editor of Le Pays Réel in August 1940 when it re-appeared and, with Degrelle enlisting in the German forces, he became an important advisor to the new Rexist leader Victor Matthys. A strong advocate of Belgian independence, he called for joint action between the Rexists and the Flemish National Union in an attempt to frustrate German plans to incorporate Belgium into the Greater Germanic Reich but when Degrelle, who had returned from action, rejected this policy he resigned from Rex in January 1943. The two also clashed over Streel's desire to refocus Rex as a strong political party, something that did not interest Degrelle, who preferred them to be a militarily-minded movement, a further cause of the 1943 split. Having left Rexism, he continued his personal policy of limited collaboration, contributing to journals and radio broadcasts. Condemned by Degrelle as "a little man with too many scruples", he privately felt that co-operating with the Germans was no longer worth while, although he would never publicly state these ideas. Exile and death He eventually fled to Germany in 1944, although he took no political role here and instead worked in a factory. Belgian authorities condemned him to death in absentia but nonetheless he voluntarily re-entered the country after the war and gave himself up. Brought before the Brussels War Tribunal, he was defended by Paul-Henri Spaak and other leading figures and initially his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with hard labour. A review by the Auditeur Militaire however uncovered an article he had written condemning the Belgian government-in-exile and reimposed the original sentence. Streel declared "I regret nothing" and insisted that fascism had been essential for Europe in order to avert disaster. Held at the Ixelles army barracks, he was executed by firing squad there on 21 February 1946. Books of José Streel Streel José, La révolution du XXème siècle (new edition of the book which was published in 1942 by the la NSE in Bruxelles), preface of Lionel Baland, Déterna, Paris, 2010. References 1911 births 1946 deaths People from Seraing Belgian Roman Catholics Rexist Party politicians Male journalists University of Liège alumni People sentenced to death in absentia Executed Belgian collaborators with Nazi Germany People executed by Belgium by firing squad Belgian prisoners of war